ai4bharat/Pralekha huggingface dataset:
Ministry of Culture
National School of Drama  to organize the 22nd edition of the Bharat Rang Mahotsav, , 2023 from 14th to 26th February.
Theatre festival will be held in 9 cities in addition to the National Capital of Delhi
National School of Drama  will organize the 22nd edition of the Bharat Rang Mahotsav, , 2023 from 14th to 26th February, 2023. The prestigious international theatre festival will be held in Delhi, Jaipur, Rajahmundry, Ranchi, Guwahati, Jammu, Srinagar, Bhopal, Nashik and Kevadia. The closing ceremony will be in Kevadia on the 26th of February.
The 22nd Bharat Rang Mahotsav will embrace an exuberant display of plays and cultural performances, multiple thematic panel discussions of global and strategic importance of theatre in global perspective. Theatre is the oldest and most effective form of art traditions for communicating the human emotions in a way that transcends from older times to the present era.
Briefing the media in the NSD premises in Delhi, today, Director, NSD , Prof  Ramesh Chandra Gaur, informed that in the present edition of BRM, “We have scrutinised a list of top-notch plays, selecting from 960 submissions, including international entries. Delhi is hosting 10 traditional performances in this festival. The Institution seeks to nurture the growth of new folk talents through the platform of 22nd BRM. So we have made an effort to accommodate as many young theatre aficionados as we can.”
Dr. Ramesh also said that collaboration has been made with the institutes in the different states in which the plays will be held. This will ensure that local artists are involved and the plays attract the local populace.
The director informed that along with the plays there will be other allied activities also like launching of books, Director’s meet, National & International Seminar and Master class by the stalwarts from the field of theatre community. With over 100 theatre companies attending the festival annually, the Bharat Rang Mahotsav has carved a niche for itself. He also informed that it is one-of-a-kind theatre fair featuring live theatre as well as exhibitions, Director’s - audience conversations, symposium, and seminar programmes on various theatre-related topics.
The Bharat Rang Mahotsav aims to strengthen international tie-ups and cultural exchange programmes with other Nations. It builds a platform to explore more about the theatre traditions across the country. Not just artists, but also the noted directors will be attending the grand festival. The National School of Drama had last organized Bharat Rang Mahotsav in July 2022 under the "Azadi Segment" of the Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav, to commemorate and pay its tribute to the martyrs of our motherland. On the eve of Kargil Vijay Diwas, NSD, Repertory Company performed n unique play named 'Kargil Ek Shaurya Gatha' at the National War Memorial on July 25, 2022.
Ministry of Women and Child Development
NIPCCD organizes a Refresher Training Programme on Mission Vatsalya at NIPCCD Regional Centre, Mohali
NIPCCD organized a Refresher Training Programme on Mission Vatsalya from 29- 31 May, 2023 at NIPCCD Regional Centre, Mohali. 33 participants attended the training Programme. The programme involved discussions on the following themes: improve functioning of statutory bodies, strengthen service delivery services, upscale institutional care/ services Encourage non-intuitional community based care, Training and Capacity building of duty holders
Ministry of Finance
Finance Ministry seeks Ideas/Suggestions/Proposals for Annual Budget 2021-22
Over the years, the Ministry of Finance has been holding pre-budget consultations in North Block with Industry/Commerce Associations, Trade Bodies and Experts to seek ideas for the Annual Budget. Owing to the pandemic situation, the Ministry has received suggestions from various quarters for holding pre-budget consultations in a different format. It has accordingly been decided to create a dedicated email to receive suggestions from various Institutions/Experts. A specific communication to this effect will be sent shortly.
Ithas also been decided to make theAnnual Budget 2021-22 consultations more participatory and democratic by taking it closer to the people of India. Government has launched a micro-site  on MyGov platform which will go live on15th November 2020 to receive ideas for the budget. General public in their individual capacity need to register on MyGov to submit their ideas for Budget 2021-22. The submissions will be further examined by the concerned Ministries/Departments of Government of India. If required, individuals may be contacted on the email/mobile no. provided at the time of registration to seek clarification on their submissions. The portal will remain open until 30th November 2020.
Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas
Union Minister Hardeep S Puri pays tribute to Rashtrapita Mahatma Gandhi at Rajghat
Shri Hardeep Singh Puri, Minister of Housing & Urban Affairs and Petroleum & Natural Gas, paid tributes to Rashtrapita Mahatma Gandhi on his 154th birth anniversary. He joined President Smt Droupadi Murmu, Vice President Shri Jagdeep Dhankhar, Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi and other dignitaries to pay respects to the father of the nation on Rajghat today.
To celebrate the special occasion of Gandhi Jayanti, Shri Puri and his wife Smt Lakshmi M Puri purchased the khadi fabrics from Khadi India. In a post on social media platform ‘X’, the Minister said, “Khadi, which began as the soul of India’s freedom struggle, continues to capture the imagination of citizens as India journeys through #AmritKaal”.
The Minister also paid homage to the former Prime Minister and Bharat Ratna Shri Lal Bahadur Shastri on his birth anniversary. In a social media post, he stated, “I pay homage to freedom fighter & India’s former PM, Bharat Ratna Sh Lal Bahadur Shastri Ji on his birth anniversary. An exemplary stalwart, his simple & austere life continues to inspire generations.”
Ministry of Home Affairs
One-Day State Mourning tomorrow as a mark of respect on the passing away of Mr. Shinzo Abe, former Prime Minister of Japan
Mr. Shinzo Abe, former Prime Minister of Japan passed away on 08th July 2022. As a mark of respect to the departed dignitary, the Government of India has decided that there will be one day's State Mourning tomorrow throughout India.
The National Flag will be flown at half-mast on the day of mourning throughout India on all buildings where the National Flag is flown regularly and there will be no official entertainment on the day.
Cabinet
Cabinet approves Ex post facto the proposal for the MoU between India and Comoros on cooperation in the field of Health and Medicine signed on 11th October, 2019
The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi today approved the proposal ex-post-facto on the Memorandum of Understanding  between the Government of the republic of India and the Government of the Union of Comoros on cooperation in the field of Health and Medicine signed in Moroni, Comoros on 11th October, 2019 during the Hon’ble Vice President of India’s state visit to Comoros.
The Memorandum of Understanding covers the following areas of cooperation:-
- Training and Capacity Building
- Exchanges of experiences
- Institutional strengthening of Hospitals; Hospital management
- Medical care in Oncology and Palliative care;
- Communicable and Non-communicable Diseases;
- Acquisition of pharmaceutical products, materials and biomedical products
- Support for the opening of three units of blood transfusion
- Support for the opening of a public health laboratory
- Support for the implementation of telemedicine
- Promotion of private investments in the field of health
- Any other area of cooperation as may be mutually decided upon
A working group will be set up to further elaborate the details of cooperation and to oversee the implementation of this Memorandum of Understanding.
Ministry of Culture
Promotion of Programmes Based on Folk Songs and Dance
To protect, promote and preserve various forms of folk art and culture including programmes based on folk songs and folk dances at the national level, the Government of India has set up seven Zonal Cultural Centres  with headquarters at Patiala, Nagpur, Udaipur, Prayagraj, Kolkata, Dimapur and Thanjavur. These ZCCs organize various cultural activities and programmes on regular basis in the country. Besides, Rashtriya Sanskriti Mahotsavs  are also conducted through these ZCCs where a large number of artists from all over India are engaged to showcase their talents. From November, 2015 onwards, eleven  RSMs at 20 places have been organized by Ministry of Culture up till now in the country. These ZCCs also organize minimum 42 Regional Festivals for promotion of culture every year as per their programme calendar.
Out of these seven ZCCs, the West Zone Cultural Centre , Udaipur engages artists to promote Tarpa Tribal Dance and Pavri Vadan in various cultural programmes organized by them. WZCC promotes Koli Dance during various programmes like Tribal Festival, Lokotsav, Loktarang and Lokrang. The ZCC at Nagpur viz. South Central Zone Cultural Centre  has also promoted  Koli Dance in the Lok Kala Darshan programme organized in Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh during 2020-21.
This information was given by the Minister of State  of Culture and Tourism, Shri Prahlad Singh Patel in a written reply in the Lok Sabha today.
Ministry of Defence
Construction of Roads in Border Areas
State/UT-wise length of roads constructed in the border areas by Border Roads Organisation during the last five years is as under:
|
|
S No
|
|
State/UT
|
|
Constructed Length 
|
|
1
|
|
UT of Ladakh
|
|
760.331
|
|
2
|
|
UT of J&K
|
|
723.056
|
|
3
|
|
UT of Andaman & Nicobar
|
|
5.957
|
|
4
|
|
Uttarakhand
|
|
479.903
|
|
5
|
|
Arunachal Pradesh
|
|
664.099
|
|
6
|
|
Mizoram
|
|
69.897
|
|
7
|
|
Nagaland
|
|
37.036
|
|
8
|
|
Manipur
|
|
72.594
|
|
9
|
|
Sikkim
|
|
258.42
|
|
10
|
|
West Bengal
|
|
28.713
|
|
11
|
|
Himachal Pradesh
|
|
277.263
|
|
12
|
|
Rajasthan
|
|
551.896
|
|
13
|
|
Punjab
|
|
61.32
|
|
|
|
Grand Total
|
|
3990.485
This information was given by Raksha Rajya Mantri Shri Ajay Bhatt in a written reply to Shri Ghanshyam Tiwari in Rajya Sabha today.
Prime Minister's Office
WhatsApp is becoming another powerful medium for me to connect with my family members across the country: PM
The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi said that WhatsApp is becoming another powerful medium for me to connect with my family members across the country.
He has also shared his WhatsApp Channel’s link.
The Prime Minister posted on X;
“व्हाट्सऐप मेरे लिए देशभर के अपने परिवारजनों से जुड़ने का एक और सशक्त माध्यम बन रहा है। मेरे इस चैनल के जरिए आप मुझसे जरूर जुड़ें और सभी अपडेट्स तुरंत अपने फोन पर ही पाएं।
https://www.whatsapp.com/channel/0029Va8IaebCMY0C8oOkQT1F
Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment
President Interacts with Divyang Children who Participated in Programme ‘Divya Kala Shakti: Witnessing Ability in Disability”
The President of India Shri Ram Nath Kovind visited Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhyaya National Institute for Persons with Physical Disabilities , Delhi today and interacted with the Divyang children who participated in the cultural programme “Divya Kala Shakti: Witnessing Ability in Disability”. The cultural programme was witnessed by the President, Vice President, Prime Minister, Council of Ministers and Members of Parliament last evening in the G.M.C. Balayogi Auditorium in Parliament House. It was organized by the Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (DEPwD, Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment.
Union Minister for Social Justice and Empowerment Shri Thaawarchand Gehlot, Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment Shri Ram Das Athawale and Secretary, DEPwD Smt. Shakuntala D. Gamlin were present during the President’s interaction with Divyang youth.
During interaction, the Coordinators of various States and Organizations introduced their Group of Divyang children to the President highlighting the special talent of the Divyang Youth. Divyang youths shared their activities and experiences with the President and presented their creative artworks to the President. The President appreciated their creative artworks and blessed them success in the career ahead. He also visited the Paintings Gallery where the classic paintings by the Divyang youth were displayed. Later, the President joined Divyang youth for refreshment.
175 Artistes had been drawn from different states, cultural societies, institutions, civil societies to make it a truly nationalistic spirit. DEPwD arranged for their rehearsals and practise session with the choreographer and the discipline and precision of timing and performance among such children is the greatest example of their intellectual, creative and their latent ability that needs to be harnessed for their optimal self-actualization.
DEPwD was established to give greater emphasis on policy issues and implementation relating to persons with disabilities. Besides administering three Acts of Parliament, the Department is providing rehabilitation services, training, education and conducting research on various disabilities through eight National Institutes spread across the country. Various Central Schemes are being run to provide support to institutions, State Governments and NGOs. Awareness Generation is a continuous process. Besides providing financial support to civil society organisations and institutions for sensitising people about the rights and entitlements of persons with disabilities; the Government confers National Awards every year in recognition of excellence of persons with disabilities and their organisations and also to individuals and organisations for the welfare of persons with disabilities. The RPwD-2016 has come into force on 19th April 2017. Section 29 of RPwD Act envisions the Government to promote cultural and recreational activities amongst the Persons with Disabilities.
Ministry of Commerce & Industry
India’s Second Technology and Innovation Support Center  Established at Anna University, Chennai
The Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion , Ministry of Commerce & Industry, Government of India, has signed an Institutional agreement with Anna University to establish India’s second Technology and Innovation Support Center  at the Centre for Intellectual Property Rights , Anna University, Chennai, under the World Intellectual Property Organization’s  TISC program.
 program provides innovators in developing countries with access to locally based, high quality technology information and related services, helping them to exploit their innovative potential and to create, protect, and manage their Intellectual Property Rights .
CIPR has an experience of filing more than 185 Patents, 29 Trademarks, 39 Copyrights, 25 Industrial Design and has also assisted in filing 12 International Patent Applications. Anna University has been accredited with 6th rank among Universities, 8th rank among Engineering Colleges and 13th rank in the overall category in India, by the National Institutional Ranking Framework  ranking of the Ministry of Human Resource Development. CIPR has also organized IPR awareness programs as well as six certificate courses on IPR related subjects.
The objective of the TISC is to stimulate a dynamic, vibrant and balanced Intellectual Property Rights  system in India to foster creativity and innovation, thereby promoting entrepreneurship and enhancing social, economic and cultural development by establishing a network of TISCs in India. Over 500 TISCs operate worldwide and establishing a TISC in India will give the host institutions access to the global network. TISC will give an impetus to knowledge sharing, sharing of best practices among the TISCs, capacity building, generation and commercialization of Intellectual Properties.
NW
Ministry of Tribal Affairs
National Education Society for Tribal Students  collaborated with National Institute of Fashion Technology , to organize a Career Counselling workshop for EMRS students
Main Highlights:
- The workshop was organized on 22nd November 2022 in an online mode for class XI and XII students of EMRSs .
- The workshop sessions included introduction of students to the fashion organization; building their exposure towards variety of Under Graduate Courses & Extra Co-curricular activities.
National Education Society for Tribal Students  collaborated with National Institute of Fashion Technology , to organize a Career Counselling workshop. The workshop was organized on 22nd November 2022 in an online mode for class XI and XII students of EMRSs .
The workshop was organized by NESTS in its endeavor of preparing students for future careers, which is a major component in the process of successful implementation of the EMRS scheme. It is imperative in today’s time to counsel students and orient them to understand divergent career options and course of professions that shall pave the way for them explore the path to success. Since, choosing a career impacts lifetime of a student, it is pertinent that students are exposed to plethora of options available with them so that they can make more vigilant and better choices as they tread on higher education pathway.
The workshop sessions included introduction of students to the fashion organization; building their exposure towards variety of Under Graduate Courses & Extra Co-curricular activities; about Examination Pattern & Eligibility Criteria; interaction with experts; sharing of Alumni’s Journey etc. Enthusiastic participation by EMRS students across the country was reflective of students’ keenness in exploring higher education fields that offer successful career as also suit their individual capabilities.
Ministry of Health and Family Welfare
Smt. Anupriya Patel flags off an auto-rickshaw rally to encourage abstinence from tobacco consumption
Smt.Anupriya Patel, Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare flagged off and auto-rickshaw rallyto encourage abstinence from tobacco consumption to commemorate this year’s World No Tobacco Day, here today. As part of this AUTO RALLY, more than 100 auto drivers will be motivated to engage with the commuters to drive the campaign for at least a minimum period of one month in different locations covering entire Delhi. For mass awareness, the messages would be carried on the hood of the autos.
Speaking at the event, SmtAnupriyaPatel said that this year's World No Tobacco Day theme is “Tobacco and Heart Disease”, which focuses on the impact that tobacco consumption has on the cardiovascular system. “Here we must not forget that it is not limited to cardiovascular diseases, but tobacco use is also attributable to cancer, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Diseases, Tuberculosis, Diabetes and other non –communicable diseases,” she said.
Smt.Anupriya Patel further said that World No Tobacco Day is a key advocacy tool for creating mass awareness on dangers of tobacco use among general public. “We must ensure additional efforts are being made to provide support to enforcement of the tobacco control laws in the country,” she added.
Also present at the event were ShriSanjeeva Kumar, Addl. Secretary, Smt.Promila Gupta, DGHS, and other senior officers of the Ministry representatives of the WHO Country Office and civil society organizations.
Special Service and Features
BUREAU OF INDIAN STANDARDS OBSERVED - RASHTRIYA EKTA DIWAS IN CHENNAI ON 31 OCT 2022
Bureau of Indian Standards, the National Standards Body of India is a statutory body functioning under the aegis of Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, Government of India. It operates various schemes like Product Certification , Management Systems Certification, Hall Marking of Gold and Silver Jewellery/Artefacts and Laboratory Services for the benefit of the industry and in turn aiming at consumer protection.
National Unity Day  is celebrated in India on 31 October. It was introduced by the Government of India in 2014. The day is celebrated to mark the birth anniversary of Sardar Patel who had a major role in the political integration of India. Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel was India’s first Deputy Prime Minister and is popularly known as the ‘Iron Man of India’.
To celebrate the eve of National Unity Day, Bureau of Indian Standards, Southern Regional Office, Chennai is organizing various events on the eve of Rashtriya Ekta Diwas Today.
The National Unity started with Smt.G.Meenakshi Ganesan, Scientist-F & Head doing floral tribute to Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel followed by Pledge Taking Ceremony along with the officials and employees of BIS.
This was followed by “Run for Unity “ Mini walkathon was conducted for the employees of BIS. Essay/Slogan writing Competitions are also planned for the BIS Employees, according to a press release issued by H.Ajay Khanna, Deputy Director .
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Cabinet
Cabinet approves Repositioning of North Eastern Council
The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has approved the proposal of Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region  for the nomination of the Union Home Minister as ex-officio Chairman of North Eastern Council  - a statutory body with Governors and Chief Ministers of all the eight North Eastern States as its Member. The Cabinet also approved that Minister of State , Ministry of DoNER would serve as Vice Chairman of the Council.
Impact:
NEC implements various projects through the State and Central agencies. Under the new arrangement with Home Minister as Chairman and Minister of DoNER as Vice Chairman, NEC and all the Governors and Chief Ministers of North Eastern States as Member would provide a forum for discussing inter-state matters more comprehensively and also consider common approaches to be taken in future.
NEC can now also perform the tasks undertaken by the various Zonal Councils to discuss such inter-State issues as drug trafficking, smuggling of arms and ammunition, boundary disputes etc.
This repositioning of NEC will help it to become a more effective body for the North Eastern Region.
The Council shall, from time to time, review the implementation of the projects/schemes included in the project; recommend effective measures for coordination among the state Governments for these projects etc. The Council shall have such powers as may be delegated to it by the Central Government.
Background:
NEC was established under the North Eastern Council Act, 1971 as an apex level body for securing balanced and coordinated development and facilitating coordination with the States. Subsequent to the Amendment of 2002, NEC has been mandated to function as a regional planning body for the North Eastern Area and while formulating a regional plan for this area, shall give priority to the schemes and projects benefiting two or more states provided that in the case of Sikkim, the Council shall formulate specific projects and schemes for that State.